Internal milling machine



Aug.

w. HolER INTERNAL MILLING MACHINE- Filed March 26, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Aug. 24, 1937. w. HolER INTERNAL MILLING MACHINE Filed March 26, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 liga" 9 ATTORNEY.

Aug. 24, 193

W. Houmav 2,091,00-0

INTERNAL MILLING MACHINE Filed March 26, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNETED SEATES tartar crmes Cincinnati Milling Machine Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Appiication March 26,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to milling machines and more particularly to an improved form of internal milling machine.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a machine which will automatically mill a plurality of internal surfaces on a work piece, some of which are normally inaccessible, by straight line movement between the tool and work.

lf Another object of this invention is to provide a machine for milling internal surfaces on a plurality of work pieces simultaneously.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cycle of operation for a milling machine whereby spaced surfaces lying in different planes may be automatically finished in one continuous cycle of the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specication, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine tool embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section taken 35 on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the milling heads as viewed on the line 4 4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the line 10 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail View of a removable trip member.

Figure 7 is a detail section on the line 'I-'i of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a diagram of the hydraulic control circuit. i

In Figure l of the drawings the reference numeral I6 indicates the base of a milling machine upon which is formed horizontally extending 50 guide ways II for receiving and supporting a reciprocable work table I2.

Uprising at opposite sides of the bed are columns I3 and I4 having vertically movable spindle carriers I5 and I6 supported respectively thereon. The carrier I5 has a cutter spindle 1936, Serial No. 70,989

(Cl. {3G-16) I'I journaled therein and the carrier I6 has a cutter spindle i8 journaled therein. These cutter spindles are driven from a common prime mover I9 located in the bed of the machine which is operatively connected through a chain 26 and pulley 2I to a drive shaft 22. This drive shaft is adapted to be connected through a suitable friction disc clutch 23 for rotation, of shaft 24. This shaft extends crosswise of the bed and drives branch transmissions to eachV of the spindles.

Since these branch transmissions are identical it is only believed necessary to describe one of them. The transmission to spindle I8 is connectible to shaft 24 by a shiftable reversing clutch 25 having teeth on opposite sides thereof for alternately engaging bevel gears 25 and 2'I. These gears interengage with a common bevel gear 28 secured to the lower end of shaft 29. The shaft 29 extends vertically into the carrier in splined relation to a bevel gear 30 which is held in the carrier against axial movement. The bevel gear 36 drives through bevel gear 3i and shaft 32 a pair of change gears 33. The driven member of this pair of gears is connected to shaft 34 which also has a spur gear 35 keyed thereto in driving relation to spur gear 36 keyed to the spindle I8. By removing the cover plate 3l the change gears may be reversed in position, or new ones substituted whereby various rates of rotation of spindle i8 may be obtained.

A similar transmission and reversing mechanism is provided for spindle I'I and therefore each of these spindles may be simultaneously rotated at variable rates. internal milling each carrier has an internal milling attachment secured thereto and since the spindles oppose one another these attachments must be built to opposite hand, although the mechanism contained therein is the same.

The internal milling attachment 38, as shown in Figure 4, is secured to the carrier I6 as by bolts 39 and in such relation that a bevel gear 40 keyed to shaft 4I and carried by the bracket intermeshes with a bevel gear 42 which is secured to the end of the spindle nose by an adapter plate 43. The shaft 4I has a spur gear 44 iixed therewith which drives through a gear train 45 a final gear 46, which, as shown in Figure 5, is keyed to a shaft 41. This shaft is journaled in anti-friction bearings 48 and 49 in the end of an arm 50', which projects from the internal milling fixture and which arm is of sufficient length to reach into the work piece to be machined.

The shaft 4l has reduced ends 50 and 5I upon For the purposes of Cil which are keyed the milling cutters 52 and 53. Since the work piece 54 has an internal rib 55, which would normally interfere with insertion of the arm of the fixture, the side of the arm is relieved or cut away yat 56 so as to prevent such interference.

Briefly, the cycle of operation of the machine is as follows:

Relative movement between the internal milling head and the table is effected, the parts being so positioned vertically that the cutters 52 and 53 will pass through the opening 51 in the end of the work. Relative longitudinal movement is then stopped and a relative vertical movement eifected to position the cutter 53 in the correct vertical plane to mill the upper internal boss 58. When this operation is completed, a retractive longitudinal relative movement is effected between the parts to such a position that the end of the head will clear the internal riband then a relative vertical movement is elfected to position the face of cutter 52 in the plane of the finished surface to be formed on the lower internal boss 59. A relative longitudinal feeding movement is then effected to finish the boss 59, after which the direction of movement is reversed and the milling heads withdrawn from the work, in which position they remain until new work pieces are' secured to the table.

The mechanism for effecting this cycle will be more clearly understood by referring to the hydraulic diagram shown in Figure 8. In this view the piston 60, which is slidably mounted in the cylinder 6|, is connected by the piston rod 62 for moving the table I2 and in a direction depending upon into which end of the cylinder 6| fluid pressure is introduced.

Fluid is delivered to opposite ends of cylinder 6| through pipes 63 and B4, which terminate in ports and 66 respectively of a stop valve 61. The valve plunger 68 of this valve has a pair of annular grooves 69 and 10 which serve to interconnect ports 1| and 12 to ports E5 and 66 respectively when the plunger is in a running position, as shown in Figure 8, and a pair of spools 13 and 14 which are adapted to close ports 1| and 12 when the plunger is moved leftward to a stop position.

The ports 1| and 12 are connected by channels 15 and 16 to ports 11 and 18 of a rate and direction selector valve 19. IIhis valve has a plunger which is shifted longitudinally by hydraulically actuated plungers -8I and 82 t-o change direction and is rotated by hydraulically actuated plungers 83 and 84 to change the rate from feed to rapid traverse or reverse. All of these plungers are connected in the order named by channels 85, 86, 81 and 88 respectively to a pilot valve 89. This pilot valve is operatively connected at to a trip plunger 9|, which may be rotated to shift the pilot valve plunger 9|' longitudinally for effecting direction changes; and moved axially to cause rotation of plunger 9| and thereby effect rate changes.

Fluid pressure is supplied to the system by means of a rapid traverse pump 92 which has an intake 93 through which uid is withdrawn from the reservoir 94, and a delivery channel by means of which the pump is connected to port 9B of the selector valve 19. A feed pump 91 is also provided having an intake 98 to which uid is returned from the low pressure end of the cylinder through channel 99 and a delivery port |00 which is connected by channel |0| to port |02 of the selector valve. The feed pump 91 is a metering pump, and in operation withdraws fluid from one end of the cylinder and pumps it into the other end thereof. Due to piston differential, however, a booster pump |03 is provided for supplying deficiencies in the one case, and a differential relief valve |04 is provided for bypassing excess iluid in the second case.

This hydraulic circuit is the same as that shown in Patent 1,998,003, issued to Hans Ernst et al., April 16, 1935. A further description thereof is `not believed to be necessary.

The carriers I5 and I6 may be moved up and down by pist-ons |05 and |06 which are connected to the respective carriers by piston rods |01 and |08. Pistons |05 and |06 are contained in cylinders |09 and ||0 respectively, and one end of these cylinders is connected to a common line terminating in port ||2 of a reversing valve 3. The other end of these cylinders is connected to a common line |4 which terminates in port |5 of the reversing valve. The reversing valve has .a pressure port |I6 which is connected by channel |1to a pump l8,having an intake I9 through which fluid is Withdrawn from the reservoir 94.

The reversing valve has a plunger |20, Figure 2, in which is formed an annular groove 12| for selectively connecting the pressure port ||6 to ports ||2, H5; and a pair of annular grooves |22 and |23 which are adapted to register respectively with one of ports i2, ||5 when the other thereof is connected to the pressure port. The annular grooves |22 and |23 have radial holes |24 drilled therein, which intersect a longitudinal bore |25 which extends through the center of the plunger and terminates in a cross bore |28 located in the lower end thereof and which is always in communication with the chamber |21 formed in the bottom of the bracket |28. This chamber is connected by a channel |29 fr) reservoir 94 for returning exhaust fluid thereto.

The reversing valve plunger |20 is connected by a lever |30 fulcrumed at |3| to a trip plunger |32 slidably mounted in the bracket |28 and connected by rack and pinion means |33 to a second plunger |34 whereby when plunger |32 is moving in one direction, the plunger |34 will move in an opposite direction. The shaft |35, which supports the pinion |36 may .also have connected to it, suitable load and fire detent mechanism, not shown, to insure operation of the reversing valve. Since such mechanisms are well-known and form no part of the present invention, it is not shown.

For the purpose of eifecting automatic operation of the stop valve 61 at certain points in the cycle of the machine, there is provided an hydraulically actuated member |31 having pistons 438 and |39 formed on opposite ends thereof, and a rack portion |40 formed intermediate the ends thereof. These pistons slide in cylinders |4| and |42 respectively which are connected by branch lines |43 and |44 to channels ||4 and respectively.

At the end of a given cycle the table I2 is moving toward the right, as viewed in Figure 8, and

this movement will continue until the stop dog |45 depresses the stop plunger 46. A latch finger |41 carried on the lower end of plunger |46 rotates the pawl |48 in a counterclockwise direction,

thereby withdrawing the same from the groovey A spring and thereby moves the start and stop control lever l.

|54 into its right hand position.

CII

vAfter the nished work has been replaced by unfinished work pieces the operator throws the lever |54 toward the left into the position in which it is shown in Figures 3 and 8, which pulls the rod |58 toward the right and moves the stop valve plunger into the position shown in Figure 8. At the same time the rod |53 is actuated to rotate the latch pawl |68 in a clockwise direction to re-engage the slot |118 and hold the plunger 14 in a running position. This can be effected in spite of the fact that the plunger |36 is being held downward by the stop dog |115, due to the fact that when the machine is stopped a lug |55 carried by the rod |56 engages the end of a lever |56 and rotates the finger |61 out of engagement with the top of the pawl |46.

Therefore, the pawl is free to be rotated in a clockwise direction to relatch the stop valve in a running position, even though the stop plunger is depressed When, however, the table |2 has moved a sufficient distance to permit the plunger |66 to rise, the lever E56 will swing counterclockwise to position the finger |41 over the top of the pawl |48.

The table now moves at a rapid traverse rate toward the left, as viewed in Figure 8, which continues until the milling heads are inserted in the work. Simultaneously, a second stop dog |51 depresses the stop plunger |56 to stop the table, and dog |58, Figure 2, depresses plunger |32, and thereby shifts the carrier control valve plunger |28 into a position to connect fluid pressure tothe lower end of cylinders |69 and I I9. This will cause the spindle carriers to rise until they eni gage positive stops |59 which will then cause pressure to build up in channel III. This rise in pressure will be communicated through branch line |611 to cylinder |42. Attention is invited to the fact that the channel |44 is relatively small in diameter as compared to channel III, whereby a pressure drop will be created between channel and cylinder |42. For this reason, and the additional fact that the carriers are free to move, it is possible to raise the carriers first before 7 plunger |31 is shifted.

The rise in pressure shifts the piston |39 and thereby the piston rod |66 which is surrounded by a spring |6|, Figure 3. The spring is contained between a pair of washers |62 and |63 which are slidable relative to the rod |69, but which abut shoulders |64 on the piston rod and |65 on the shifter |66. When the rod |68 moves upward, the washer |62 and shifter |66 remain stationary, while the washer |63 abutting the shoulder |66 moves with the rod |68 to compress spring |6I.

The shifter |66 is held against movement by a spring pressed pin |61 which engages one end of the shifter, but as the rod |66 moves up, a cam surface |68 moves a pawl |69 in a counterclockwise direction to force the plunger |61 to retract. When this plunger has retracted suiciently to clear the end of the shifter |66, the latter is red due to the compression of spring I6! and a secf ond plunger |18 engages the lower end of the shifter to hold it in its new position.

The shifter, by means cf rack teeth |1I formed longitudinally thereof intermeshing with gear teeth |12, rotates the member |13 about a xed pivot |14 and causes an arm |15 pivotally connected at l'6 to the member |13 to engage a shoulder |11 formed on a member |18, which is xed with the shaft |19 that carries the lever |54. As the member |13 is rotated countern clockwise, the member |18 is also rotated counterclockwise, and thereby, through a ball-ended lever |86 engaging a slot ISE formed in the rod |56, shifts the stop valve to a running position.

The shaft |19 also has a lug |92 which pulls the rod |53 toward the right to insure engagement of the latch pawl |58 to hold the stop valve in its running position. Attention is invited to the fact that just at the end of the stroke of arm |15, a spring pressed plunger |63 acts upward in a direction to cause the end of arm to disengage the shoulder |11, whereby the member |18 may be subsequently rotated in a clockwise direction without interference with the end of arm |15.

Since the selector valve was left in a rapid traverse position at the time that the table was stopped, it will be apparent that upon automatic repositioning of the stop Valve to a running position that the table will again. start at a rapid traverse rate and in the same direction. Therefore, a dog |82 on the table engages a lug on plunger 9| to raise the same and rotate the pilot valve 9| to change the rate to feed. This movement will continue until the cutter 53 has finished the upper boss 58, shown in Figure 5. A reversing dog |84, carried by the table, now engages the wing |85 on the trip plunger 9| and rotates the same to longitudinally shift the pilot valve plunger 9| and cause power shifting of the selector valve to cause return movement of the table at a rapid traverse rate.

When the carriers I5 and I6 were elevated to their present cutting position, a trip member |86, shown attached to the carrier I 5 in Figure 6, engaged a ball-ended lever |81 and thereby, through a pinion and rack connection |88, moved dog |89 `downward to a position indicated by the dash and dot lines I 98 and thereby in the path of the wing |85 on the trip plunger 9|. As the table returns at a rapid traverse rate, the disappearing dog |89 engages the wing |65 and rotates the trip plunger 9| to reposition the selector valve to cause feeding movement in the opposite direction. At the same time, however, the stop dog |51 depresses plunger I 56 and causes automatic shifting of the stop Valve plunger to a stop position.

Also, since the table'is moving toward the right, as viewed in Figure 8, the dog |6I, which is also moving toward the right, as viewed in Figure 2, depresses the plunger |34 and thereby, through the rack and pinion connections, etc., shown in Figure 2, shifts the control valve plunger |26 to cause downward movement of the carriers. When this downward movement is. completed, by abutting positive stops |92', pressure will build up in cylinder |4| and cause actuation of piston |36, which will re the shifter |66 and thereby rotate the member |13 in a clockwise direction. This time a second lever arm |93 will engage a second shoulder |94 formed on the member |18 and again rotate the member |18 in a counterclockwise direction to reposition the stop valve in a running position.

Near the end of the stroke of arm |93, a spring pressed plunger |85 will cause disengagement of arm |93 with shoulder |94 so that again the memn table on its return movement and the lever |54 will have to be manually operated to initiate movement of the table in the same direction to its loading position, This time the dog |58 which 5 will be traveling toward the right, as viewed in Figure 2, will pass over the plunger |32 without actuating the same, since it is a latch dog which is not effective for this direction of table movement.

l Upon completion of the return movement of the table to a loading position, a trip dog |96 depresses thel trip plunger 9| and rotates the pilot valve to cause power rotation of the selector valve from a rapid traverse position to a l feeding position. This is to condition the parts so that immediately afterward when the reverse dog |91 rotates the trip plunger, it will position the parts for a rapid traverse forward movement. At the same time that the reversing dog |91 rotates. the trip plunger 9|, the stop dog |45 will depress the stop plunger |46 and stop movement of the table. The operator may now remove the nished work pieces and replace them with unfinished work pieces.

There has thus been provided an improved automatic machine for milling spaced surfaces on a work piece, which are normally inaccessible for a continuous straight milling operation.

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine for milling spaced internal bosses on a work piece, the combination of a tool carrying arm, co-axial cutters rotatably supported at the end of said arm, power operable means to effect relative reciprocation between the 05 work support and said armfin one plane, power operable means to effec-t a relative displacement laterally of said plane between the work support and arm, to position the other of said cutters in a plane for milling a second boss on the Work piece.

2. In an internal milling machine having a cutter head and a work table adapted to support a work piece having an internal opening therein, the combination of transmission means for effecting relative movement between the parts to insert the head in the work piece, means automatically operable to cause a lateral shifting movement between the parts whereby a rst surface inaccessible by movement along said path may be machined, and a tripping mechanism to reverse said last-named means to reposition the parts for a continued movement along said first-named path to machine a second surface on said work piece.

3. In a machine for iinished spaced internal surfaces on a work piece, of a milling head having individual cutters for the dierent surfaces, power operable means for inserting the head in the work piece, a second power operable means for successively positioning individual cutters in the plane of the surfaces to be iinished, and trip operable means for causing said first-named power operable means to feed the cutters along their respective cutting paths.

4. A milling machine having a reciprocating table, a tool carrier movable toward and from the table, fluid operable means for shifting the tool carrier including a reversing valve, a plurality of dogs carried by the table for intermittently operating said valve to cause movement of the carrier away from the table and toward the table, and means to cause a reciprocation of the table after each of sai-d movements to eifect sequential machining of spaced surfaces on a work :s piece.

5. A milling machine having a reciprocating table, a plurality of tool carriers movable relative to the table, fluid operable means for shifting the tool carriers including a reversing valve, a plurality of dogs carried by the table for intermittently operating said valve to cause movement of the carriers to a rst position and to a second position relative to the table, uid operable means for effecting a single reciprocation of the table at a time, and means operable by the carriers to initiate a reciprocatory movement of the table at the end of each of said carrier movements.

6. A milling machine having a reciprocating table, a plurality of tool carriers movable relative to the table, fluid operable means for shifting the tool carriers including a reversing valve, a plurality of dogs carried by the table for intermittently operating said valve to cause movement of the carriers to a rst position and to a second position relative to the table, fluid operable means for effecting a single reciprocation of the-table at a time, means operable by the carriers to initiate a reciprocatory movement of the table at the end of each of said carrier movements, and a manual control effective on said last-named uid operable means for shifting the table to a loading position.

7. A milling machine having a reciprocable table, a tool carrier, a source of pressure, a iluid operable device for shifting the carrier relative to the table from one of two positions to the other, iiuid operable means for reciprocating the table on a feeding stroke and a rapid return stroke after each shifting movement of the carrier, means to stop the table after each reciprocation thereof, and manually controlled means for causing continued movement of the table along one of said paths to a loading position.

8. A milling machine having a plurality of slides, hydraulic means for actuating said slides alternately, manual means for initiating hydraulic movement of one of said slides to position a cutter internally of a work piece, control means subsequently operated by the moving slide for terminating its own movement and initiating movement of a second slide, and additional control means operable by the second slide at the completion of a stroke thereof to initiate a reciprocatory movement of the first slide, and means operable at the end of `said reciprocatory movement to cause return movement of the first slide and initiate a second reciprocatory movement of the second slide.

9. In a milling machine having a plurality of l tool carriers, internal milling heads attached to each of said carriers, a work table having means for supporting a work piece in line with each of said tool heads, means for effecting relative movement between the parts to insert the tool heads in respective work pieces, uid operable means for reciprocating the carriers, means for causing a dwell at the end of each stroke of the carriers, and means trip operable by the carriers at the end of each stroke thereof to initiate a reciprocation of the table to effect a milling operation on each work piece.

10. In a milling machine, the combination with a tool slide and a work slide, an hydraulic circuit including a stop valve for controlling movement of the Work slide, an hydraulic circuit including a reversing valve for controlling movement of the tool slide, means trip operable by the work Slide for shifting said valves substantially simultaneously to cause the work slide to stop and the tool slide to start, a positive stop for limiting movement of the tool slide, and means responsive to the higher pressure created in the last named circuit by stoppage of the tool slide for shifting said stop valve to a running position.

11. In a milling machine having a Work slide and a tool slide, the combination of fluid operable means for moving the Work slide including a fluid circuit having a stop control valve therein, uid operable means for moving the tool slide including a second fluid circuit having a reversing control valve therein, means operable by each slide for actuating the control valve of the other slide, one of said means including a fluid operable piston which is movable in opposite directions, and means uni-directionally moved thereby for shifting said control valve in only one direction.

12. In a machine tool having a tool slide and a Work slide, a fluid operable control circuit for one of said slides including a stop valve, a latch paWl for holding said stop valve in its stop position, means to cause intermittent operation of said tool slide, first in one direction and then in another, a pair of fluid channels alternately connectible to pressure for reciprocating the tool slide, and means connected to said channels and responsive to high pressure created in said channels due to stoppage of the tool slide by a positive stop for releasing said latch means.

13. In a machine tool having a tool slide and a Work slide, the combination of a control circuit for the Work slide including a stop valve and a member uni-directionally movable for releasing said stop valve, a tool slide, fluid operable means for shifting said tool slide, including a fluid operable motor and a pair of channels connected thereto, control means for causing alternate strokes of said tool slide, positive stops for limiting the movement of the tool slide in each direction, a piston and cylinder, the opposite ends of the latter being connected to the respective channels whereby upon stoppage of said tool slide the piston Will be moved in opposite directions, and means operable by said piston for actuating said uni-directionally movable member at the end of each stroke ofthe tool slide and regardless of the direction of movement of said piston.

WALTER I-IOIER. 

